Balancing Structural and Temporal Constraints in Multitasking Contexts

Recent research has shown that when people multitask, both the subtask structure and the temporal constraints of the component tasks strongly influence people’s task-switching behavior. In this paper, we propose an integrated theoretical account and associated computational model that aims to quantify how people balance structural and temporal constraints in everyday multitasking. We validate the theory using data from an empirical study in which drivers performed a visual-search task while navigating a driving environment. Through examination of illustrative protocols from the model and human drivers as well as the overall fit on the aggregate glance data, we explore the implications of the theory and model for time-critical multitasking domains.peerReviewe

Examining the Link between Personality Traits, Cognitive Performance, and Consecutive Interpreting

Interpreting is a highly complex activity that not only demands proficient linguistic expertise, but also non-linguistic abilities such as non-linguistic cognitive performance (Macnamara, 2012; Riesbeck et al., 1978; Wang, 2004). In addition to this, individual differences in personality may also play a potential role in the interpreter's ability to perform their job (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Rothmann & Coetzer, 2003). The current study sought to examine whether there is a relationship between personality traits, cognitive ability, and consecutive interpreting. The five-factor model of personality (Costa & McCrae, 1988) was used to examine the personality of participants with its five categories of personality type (Openness to Experience; Conscientiousness; Extraversion; Agreeableness; and Neuroticism), and five cognitive ability tasks (Working Memory; Attentional Control; Multi-tasking; Speed of Information Processing; and Psychological Endurance) were chosen to examine their potential relationship with interpreting ability. To fulfill this goal, an empirical study was conducted, collecting data from 80 participants in total (40 with consecutive interpreting backgrounds in the experimental group and 40 without interpreting foundations as a control group). Data was collected using online questionnaires and a set of cognitive tasks. The three online questionnaires, the Big Five (Goldberg, 1992), Attentional Control Scale (Derryberry & Reed, 2002) and Psychological Endurance Scale (Hamby et al., 2015) were used to examine participants’ personality, Attentional Control and Psychological Endurance respectively, whilst the objective cognitive tasks were designed to measure participant Working Memory, Multi-tasking ability and Speed of Information Processing using the Listening Span Test (Liu et al., 2004), Digits Symbol Substitution Test (Kaufman & Lichtenberger, 2006; Wechsler, 1939) and Linguistic Dual Task (Stachowiak, 2015; Meyer & Kieras, 1997) respectively. The main findings of the current results were: firstly, a significant difference was found in cognitive abilities between experimental and control group in the areas of Working Memory, Attentional Control, Multi-tasking and Psychological Endurance. Secondly, several personality traits correlated with scores on some cognitive abilities. For example, Openness to Experience positively correlated with Attentional Control and Psychological Endurance; Conscientiousness positively correlated with Working Memory, Attentional Control and Psychological Endurance; Extraversion positively correlated with Attentional Control and Psychological Endurance; whilst Neuroticism negatively correlated with Attentional Control and Psychological Endurance. Thirdly, several personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and Extraversion) appear to be significantly related more to the experimental group than the control group. Finally, mediation analysis appears to show that interpreting training has a mediating effect on the relationship between certain types of personality traits and cognitive abilities. In some cases, interpreting training and personality traits appear to exert an interacting effect and have a combining influence on some cognitive abilities. These findings can hopefully provide a foundation for future study and be applied in practice to help interpreting training projects and cognitive ability improvement